Southern Istria's kitchens run on Istarski pršut cured in the bora wind and hobotnica na buzaru pulled fresh off the south coast, with the konobas of Pula's old town turning the catch into supa Istriana before the evening crowd arrives. OPG LJUTISTRA, a craft chili kitchen run in the Pula and Fažana area by chef and producer Patrik Prnjak, has taken three Golds at the European Hot Sauce Awards 2026 (heatawards.eu), Europe's flagship hot sauce competition, across three different categories: Gold in Extract Based Chili Sauce with EL KLASIKO, Gold in Garlic Chili Sauce with FARABUTO, and Gold in Salt & Condiments with MIRODIJA.
OPG LJUTISTRA grows chili peppers on its own land and produces hot sauces in small batches, with Patrik Prnjak working from a gourmet kitchen approach: home-grown ingredients, balance of flavour, and no compromise on quality. The brand has built its profile quickly across the Croatian hot sauce scene through that gourmet pitch, and the three placements at EHSA 2026 land in three completely different parts of the category spread, from a tomato-and-habanero extract build to a smoked-garlic sauce to a porcini-and-sea-salt condiment.
Nathan Austin on OPG LJUTISTRA:
"Three golds in three categories that demand completely different things from a producer is unusual at this competition. EL KLASIKO leans on tomato and rosemary with habanero pulled into a Mediterranean register, FARABUTO is built around smoked roasted garlic and smoked chili peppers, and MIRODIJA pulls porcini, citrus and sea salt into a single condiment. Three different builds, three different category disciplines, one kitchen." – Nathan Austin, Tasting Editor, Republic of Heat
EL KLASIKO (Gold, Extract Based Chili Sauce): tomato-led with rosemary bringing Mediterranean freshness and a mild aromatic bitterness, habanero providing pronounced but controlled heat that sits with the herbal and fruity notes. Patrik describes the finish as rounded, aromatic and persistent.
FARABUTO (Gold, Garlic Chili Sauce): smoked roasted garlic for fullness and natural sweetness, smoked hot peppers carrying warm, rounded spiciness. Patrik describes the sauce as rich, aromatic and layered, with balanced acidity and a mild smoky finish that lingers.
MIRODIJA (Gold, Salt & Condiments): porcini for deep earthy aroma and umami, habanero providing pronounced but balanced heat, citrus bringing freshness, and sea salt connecting the elements. Patrik describes the result as intense, warm and subtly spicy.
"We've put Pula on the European chili map. A small kitchen, our own recipes, going up against producers from across the continent and coming out with three gold medals in three different categories. That's the result, and the team has earned it." – Patrik Prnjak, OPG LJUTISTRA
The European Hot Sauce Awards 2026 ran over 200 sauces from across the continent through blind tasting this year, scored on five criteria by a deliberately mixed panel of chefs, sommeliers, critics and chilli specialists. Extract Based, Garlic, and Salt & Condiments demand completely different things from a producer, and OPG LJUTISTRA took Gold in all three.
"Three golds in three different categories from a single craft kitchen is the kind of result that stops a judging room. Patrik has built something serious in Pula, and we're watching closely for what comes next." – Neil Numb, Founder, European Hot Sauce Awards
EL KLASIKO, FARABUTO and MIRODIJA are available through OPG LJUTISTRA. Full EHSA 2026 results across all 16 categories: heatawards.eu/results/2026?utm_source=press_release&utm_medium=press&utm_campaign=ehsa2026&utm_content=opg-ljutistra.
The European Hot Sauce Awards 2026 are announced ahead of the Berlin Chili Fest, 29–31 May 2026. Republic of Heat's EHSA 2026 Top 3 winner box is live at republicofheat.com/de-en/discovery-set/euhsa_top3, with further EHSA selection boxes at republicofheat.com/de-en/hot-sauce-sets.
PRESS RESOURCES Reveal video on YouTube, embeddable: - Garlic Chili Sauce: https://youtu.be/7ATiV-ZJHU0 Press kit (photos, logos, AI lifestyle composites credited Republic of Heat / European Hot Sauce Awards 2026): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1pegaxDx_D7RJVmaRdr7Xvdoa7NdUfk__?usp=drive_link
ABOUT OPG LJUTISTRA OPG LJUTISTRA is a craft Istrian chili kitchen based in the Pula and Fažana area, founded and run by chef and producer Patrik Prnjak. The brand grows its own chili peppers and produces hot sauces in small batches, with a gourmet pitch built on home-grown ingredients, balance of flavour, and no compromise on quality. The range, including EL KLASIKO, FARABUTO and MIRODIJA, is available through OPG LJUTISTRA.
ABOUT THE EUROPEAN HOT SAUCE AWARDS The European Hot Sauce Awards (EHSA) is the professional competition for commercially produced hot sauces in Europe, run annually since 2024 from heatawards.eu. EHSA was born out of the Berlin Chili Festival, which has run since 2019 and returns 29–31 May 2026, and became an independent competition in 2024. Over 200 sauces from producers across the continent were entered in 2026. Entries are judged blind across five criteria: aroma, heat profile, flavour, creativity and finish. The 2026 edition covers 16 categories, with Gold, Silver and Bronze medals awarded across multiple positions in each. Each category also names a Best in Category, the top Gold. EHSA is run independently of any single producer or retailer.
ABOUT REPUBLIC OF HEAT Republic of Heat is a European hot sauce subscription designed to show off the flavours coming out of Europe and help solve the distribution problem independent makers face. Founded June 2025 in Berlin by Nathan "Naga" Austin and Simon "Scoville" Gardner. The Discovery subscription delivers three handpicked craft sauces plus a spicy extra to subscribers across the EU each month. Press partner of the European Hot Sauce Awards 2026. republicofheat.com.
PRESS CONTACT Press: Republic of Heat, on behalf of European Hot Sauce Awards contact@republicofheat.com +49 176 41601284
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